The present invention relates to a seat belt system for securing an occupant to a seat and more particularly to a system which includes means for providing greater mobility to the occupant.
Reference is made to FIGURE I which diagrammatically illustrates a typical seat belt system comprising a length of webbing 20 wound about a retractor 22. The other end of the webbing terminates at a tongue 24 adapted to be received within a buckle 26 which in turn is secured to the vehicle or vehicle seat at 28. With regard to the retractor 22 it typically will be of the emergency locking variety (ELR) or the automatic locking (ALR) variety. In the ELR type of retractor the occupant is free to move within the seat as the retractor does not lock up until an emergency situation occurs. However, the use of an ALR type of retractor does not afford the system user the same increased mobility, since after the tongue 24 is seated within the buckle 26 the ALR type of retractor will retract excess webbing 20 and then lock the webbing tightly about the occupant. As a consequence, the occupant cannot move forward or even twist or rotate within his/her seat because of the operation of the ALR retractor.
In order to provide the system user with increased mobility, the prior art illustrates an anti-cinch tongue assembly in which the steel load plate of the tongue is telescopically movable relative to a housing. In this type of a system after the tongue has been seated within the buckle and the user moves or rotates within his/her seat, the housing and load plate can move relative to one another. During an emergency situation the housing and load plate of the tongue become fully extended and the permitted motion of the occupant is limited.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, novel replacement to the above-described system providing for a reduction in the cost of material, labor, size and weight.
Accordingly, the invention comprises: a seat belt system comprising a length of webbing adapted to secure an occupant to a seat; first locking means receivable into second locking means, a portion of the second locking means being fixedly positioned relative to the seat; retractor means for retracting excess webbing; the webbing supporting first means for resiliently coupling the webbing to the first locking means such that the webbing can move relative to the first locking means in response to occupant motion and wherein a portion of the webbing proximate the first means, includes second means, coupled to the first locking means for limiting extension of the first means to a maximum amount when the webbing is under tension.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.